HSK 4 · Article · 319 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/what-are-the-two-sessions-in-china

“两会”是什么？

What are the Two Sessions in China?

Name: ________________ Date: ________

每年měinián三月sānyuè，北京běijīng都dōu会huì举行jǔxíng两liǎng个gè很hěn大dà的de会议huìyì。因为yīnwèi两liǎng个gè会huì的de时间shíjiān差不多chàbuduō，中国zhōngguó人rén就jiù把bǎ它们tāmen叫作jiàozuò“两会liǎnghuì”。

哪nǎ两liǎng个gè会huì？一个yígè是shì全国人民代表大会quánguórénmíndàibiǎodàhuì，简称jiǎnchēng“人大réndà”；另lìng一个yígè是shì中国人民政治协商会议zhōngguórénmínzhèngzhìxiéshānghuìyì，简称jiǎnchēng“政协zhèngxié”。两liǎng个gè会huì都dōu在zài北京běijīng的de人民大会堂rénmíndàhuìtáng举行jǔxíng。

谁shéi去qù开会kāihuì？人大réndà有yǒu差不多chàbuduō三千sānqiān名míng代表dàibiǎo，他们tāmen来自láizì全国quánguó各个gègè省shěng、各行各业gèháng-gèyè，有yǒu官员guānyuán，也yě有yǒu工人gōngrén、农民nóngmín、老师lǎoshī和hé运动员yùndòngyuán。政协zhèngxié的de委员wěiyuán也yě有yǒu两千多liǎngqiānduō人rén。

会huì上shàng做zuò什么shénme？最zuì受shòu关注guānzhù的de一yí件jiàn事shì，是shì国务院guówùyuàn总理zónglǐ做zuò“政府工作报告zhèngfǔgōngzuòbàogào”。报告bàogào会huì说shuō过去guòqù一yì年nián做zuò了le什么shénme，也yě会huì说shuō新xīn的de一yì年nián要yào做zuò什么shénme，比如bǐrú经济增长jīngjì-zēngzhǎng的de目标mùbiāo是shì多少duōshao。人大réndà还hái会huì通过tōngguò法律fǎlǜ，批准pīzhǔn国家guójiā的de预算yùsuàn和hé计划jìhuà。政协zhèngxié主要zhǔyào是shì提出tíchū建议jiànyì。

为什么wèishénme很hěn多duō人rén关注guānzhù两会liǎnghuì？因为yīnwèi这里zhèlǐ说shuō的de事情shìqing，常常chángcháng会huì影响yíngxiǎng接下来jiēxiàlái一yì年nián里很hěn多duō人rén的de生活shēnghuó，比如bǐrú工作gōngzuò、上学shàngxué、看病kànbìng和hé养老yánglǎo。每年měinián这个zhège时候shíhou，新闻xīnwén和hé网上wǎngshàng都dōu会huì讨论tǎolùn很hěn多duō“两会liǎnghuì热词rècí”。

在zài你nǐ的de国家guójiā，最zuì重要zhòngyào的de会议huìyì一般yìbān在zài什么shénme时候shíhou开kāi？

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
会议	huìyì	meeting; conference
差不多	chàbuduō	almost; nearly
开会	kāihuì	to have a meeting; to attend a meeting
来自	láizì	to come from; to originate from
运动员	yùndòngyuán	athlete; sportsperson
关注	guānzhù	to pay close attention to; to follow (a topic or account)
比如	bǐrú	for example; for instance; such as
国家	guójiā	country; nation; state
主要	zhǔyào	main; major; mainly; mostly
常常	chángcháng	often; frequently
影响	yíngxiǎng	influence; effect; impact; to influence; to affect
生活	shēnghuó	life; to live

English (for the teacher)

Every March, Beijing holds two very large meetings. Because the two meetings take place at about the same time, Chinese people call them the “Two Sessions”.

Which two meetings? One is the National People’s Congress, “Renda” for short; the other is the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, “Zhengxie” for short. Both meet in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Who attends? The NPC has nearly three thousand deputies from every province and every walk of life: officials, and also workers, farmers, teachers and athletes. The CPPCC has more than two thousand members too.

What happens at the meetings? The most watched event is the Premier delivering the “government work report”. The report says what was done over the past year and what will be done in the new one, such as the target for economic growth. The NPC also passes laws and approves the national budget and plans. The CPPCC mainly makes proposals.

Why do so many people follow the Two Sessions? Because what is said there often affects many people’s lives over the following year, such as work, school, health care and pensions. Every year at this time, the news and the internet discuss lots of “Two Sessions buzzwords”.

In your country, when is the most important meeting usually held?